Innovation Platforms and the Governance of Knowledge: evidence from Italy and the UK

Consoli,D.;Patrucco,P.
Economics of Innovation and New Technology

Innovation is a collective process that entails the coordination of distributed knowledge across diverse organizations.

Technology infrastructures provide innovation systems with governance mechanisms to create and sustain complementarities

across otherwise dispersed competences. The paper presents innovation platforms as a specific case of

technology infrastructure. Operating strategically at the interface between the public and the private sectors, platforms

enable capacity- and capability-building for individuals, teams and organizations. Illustrative evidence on innovation

platforms in the United Kingdom and Italy confirms the importance of institutional responsiveness to stimulate variety

and ensure coordination in the context of collective innovation processes.